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Friday, August 22, 2014

Veterans United Craft Brewery Now Open

Veterans United Craft Brewery has a big weekend set to kickoff their grand opening! The festivities begin on Friday and continue Saturday. This is sure to be an exciting opening, as Veterans United has lined up live music, food trucks, and (of course) plenty of beer! Owner, Ron Gamble will be on hand along with the rest of his staff to talk beer, pour beer, and drink beer. This opening is a must-attend event, and I highly recommend you make it out either Friday or Saturday. Or both!

I was fortunate enough to gain a sneak peak of the taproom and brewery on Thursday evening. There were dozens of members from the local press, including some of my favorite beer writers and contributors from the Jacksonville area. In addition to sampling some of VU's brews, the highlight of my night was touring the facility and listening to Gamble share his passion and vision for the brewery. With 30+ accounts already signed up, Jacksonville locals should expect to see his beer flowing from taps as soon as this coming Monday.

The festivities begin at 5pm on Friday. Check out VU's Facebook page for more details on this weekend's celebration.

Below are some of the sights and happenings from Thursday's media preview of the brewery:

Scout Dog 44 Amber Ale was the first beer I tried. It's a malt-forward ale with notes of nuts, biscuit, caramel, and earthy hops.

After the amber, I moved on to the Raging Blonde. It's an easy-to-drink ale that's light in color but doesn't skimp on the flavor. Notes: Malt-forward, doughy, crisp finish with slight bitterness.

The last beer I tried was the Hop Banshee IPA. My favorite beer of the night, this is an approachable IPA and one that I think will become a crowd-pleaser. At only 66 IBUs, this can be considered a mild IPA by modern standards. Notes: Strong hop aroma, Citrus flavors balanced by a malt sweetness. Clean and refreshing finish. Mild and drinkable.

Here are the rest of my photos from the night. Spread the word and visit Veteran's United Craft Brewery this weekend. And share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Cheers!

Owner, Ron Gamble, takes members of the media on a tour of his brand new facility